Obituaries

Of Brookline, on June 21, 2016. Survived by his beloved wife, Sheila Landay and by his devoted children, Audrey Beitzel of Clearwater, FL, James Landay and his wife Denise of St. Petersburg, FL, Lori Landay and her husband Richard Cownie of Brookline, Jonathan Landay of Brookline and Venice Beach, CA, and Douglas Landay of Phoenix, AZ. He was the proud and loving grandfather of Scott, Alison, Maggie, Sammy, Jason, Jacob and Elizabeth. He is also survived by his younger brothers, Roger and his wife Myrna of Jupiter, FL, and David and his wife Naomi of Sarasota, FL.  Born to Martin and Mildred Landay on October 14, 1932, he was raised in Brookline. He graduated from Tilton Academy in 1950 and Colby College in 1954, and served in the U.S. Army Intelligence from 1956-1958.  He was an avid runner who finished the Boston Marathon.  He was active in the community, including serving as President of the Brotherhood of Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, was on the board of The Home for Little Wanderers, and was a Mason.  After a private service, Shiva will be at his residence on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday from 5-7 pm.  Memorial contributions may be made to The Home for Little Wanderers, 10 Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135.

of Fall River, formerly of Brockton on June 20, 2016. Dear daughter of the late Frances and Irving Nitenson. Beloved wife of the late Saul Goisman. Devoted mother of Jerri Goisman and son-in-law Sonny and the late Barry Goisman. Loving grandmother of Holly Lynn, James and Rachel. Cherished great-grandmother of Aiden, Ethan and Evelyn Rose. Dear sister of the late Sumner Nitenson and his wife Elaine Nitenson. She is also predeceased by her lifelong friend Arline Davis.

Rena was active as a choreographer and dance teacher for many years in the South Area Jewish Community Center and the Striar Jewish Community Center in Stoughton, where she chaperoned senior trips. Throughout the years she enjoyed volunteering her time at the YM&YWHA, as well as the Brockton VA Hospital. As a member of the council on aging, in Brockton, Rena stayed active in the community. Rena was a great poet and delighted in knitting and crocheting, as well as cooking and baking for family and friends.

Graveside service at Sharon Memorial Park, 40 Dedham St., Sharon, on Thursday, June 23, 2016 at 10:45 am. In lieu of flowers remembrances may be made to National Stroke Association, 9707 East Easter Lane, Suite B, Centennial, CO 80112.

Joan Ellen Josephson- Beloved wife of Dr. Mark Josephson for 48 years; devoted mother of Rachel and Stephanie, and adoring “Grammy” to Sylvie, Elan, and Sydney, died after a courageous battle with cancer on June 17, 2016 at the age of 72. With a BA from Penn State and an EdM from Columbia, she devoted her life to helping others. She was a teacher, advisor, and long term volunteer: at the Ronald McDonald House, as a leader of the surgical liaison service, and a member of the Parent Connection at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and a tutor for Read Boston. With a style of understated elegance and a motto to “always to do the right thing”, she was inspirational to all who came into contact with her. The world is a better place because of her.

Michael Plotkin-on June 17, 2016. A private service for Michael Plotkin will be held at Temple Israel, Boston. For further information please contact a member of the Plotkin family.

Of Randolph, on June 15, 2016. Beloved wife of the late Harry Hackel. Devoted mother of Victor A. Hackel and Kenneth C. Hackel (Jan). Loving grandmother of Nikki, Arielle, and Sean. Dear sister of Elliot Levine (Natalie). Also loved by Jan’s children and grandchildren, and many extended family members. Service at Vilno Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury, Sunday, June 19, 2016 at 11:00 am. Memorial observance at the home of Kenneth and Jan Hackel on Sunday from 2-7 pm and at Shirley’s late residence on Monday 2-4 pm. Donations may be made to a charity of choice.

Of Sudbury, on June 14, 2016. Beloved husband of Myra (Finn) Miller. Devoted father of Elianna, Lora, and Nadine. Dear brother of Wendy Hertz, Joan Silvers, and Nancy Rau. Services at Cong. B’Nai Torah, 225 Boston Post Rd., Sudbury, Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 10:00 am. Following interment at Baker St., West Roxbury, memorial observance will be held at the Miller home on Wednesday and Thursday until 8 pm and Friday until 5 pm. Donations may be made to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284 or BONES – (Beagles of New England States),  P.O. Box 1510, New Boston, NH 03070.

Sophia Fleishman-of Needham, on June 14, 2016, at age 102.Beloved wife of the late Saul Fleishman and Hyman Needle. Devoted mother of Stephen Needle and his wife Terri and the late Lorelei Geller and her surviving husband Herbert. Also survived by stepsons Howard, Arthur and Jerry Fleishman. Dear grandmother of Pamela Shuman, James Needle, Harley Needle, Valerie Ahern and the late Scott Geller. She also leaves 10 step grandchildren. Dear great- grandmother of 9, and step great- grandmother 0f 15. Graveside service at Roxbury Mutual Society Cemetery,10 Washington St., Woburn, on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at 2:00pm.Memorial observance at her residence on Thursday, June 16,2016 from  5-9pm.In lieu of flowers remembrances in her memory may be made to The National Kidney Foundation, 85 Astor Ave., Suite 2,Norwood, MA 02062,or Chabad House Jewish Center,34 Cedar St., Milford, MA 01757  www.gotchabad.com.

On June 11, 2016, of Newton. Survived by her beloved husband of 71 years, Rabbi Reuben M. Katz and by her devoted children Devi Stern and her husband Martin Stern of Chicago, Naomi Katz Mintz and her husband Rabbi Lewis Mintz of Acton, and Jonathan Katz and his wife Norah Wylie of Newton. She was the proud and loving grandmother of Sarah and Rachel Stern, David Mintz, and Rebecca, Daniel, and Michael Katz, and the ecstatic great grandmother of Ella Smith and Nadav Mintz. Also survived by numerous loving nieces and nephews. Mrs. Katz previously lived in Freeport, NY and was a gifted teacher in the Baldwin School District for more than 25 years.  Services at Temple Emanuel, 365 Ward St., Newton, MA at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, June 14, followed by calling hours during Shiva from 5-7:30 PM on Tuesday and continuing 5:30-7:30 PM Thursday, June 16^th at Cabot Park Village, 280 Newtonville Ave, Newton MA. Shiva observance will continue on Sunday at the Mintz home in Acton, 4:30-8:30 PM.

of Lexington, on June 10, 2016. Wife of Sam Silverman, with whom she shared a passion for the intellectual life, a commitment to Judaism, and a determination to grow and learn together over their 50 year marriage. She raised five children: Ann, Bill, Nancy (Ariel), Gila, and Aaron (Debra), and was the proud grandmother of nine: Zohar (Kelly), Maya, Inbal, Eran, Malia, Koby, Silvia, Miriam and Isaac. Sister of Sondra Patraker; aunt, cousin, friend, and colleague of many.

Phyllis was a qualitative researcher, writer, and teacher, best known for her contributions to the study of bereavement, and in particular, children’s grief. She was a knitter, a swimmer, a lover of all things red, hostess of dinner parties and holiday feasts, maker of chicken soup and apple pie.

Born to Joseph and Rose Rolfe, on July 10, 1927, she was raised in Queens, New York. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1948, and spent 1949-50 in the newly-established state of Israel, working with refugees. She received Master’s degrees from the Smith College School of Social Work and the Harvard School of Public Health, and a PhD from the Heller School at Brandeis University.

Beginning in the late 1960’s, her research explored the needs of the widowed, and served as the basis for the development of many mutual help programs for the bereaved. She later conducted research with birthmothers and widowers, and was the Co-Principal Investigator and Project Director of the Harvard/MGH Child Bereavement Study, a longitudinal prospective study of the impact of the death of a parent on school age children. She taught for over 20 years at the MGH Institute of Health Professions and was subsequently a Scholar in Residence at the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University. She spent the 1993-94 academic year at the School of Social Work at Haifa University in Israel, as a Senior Research Fulbright Fellow, and was the 1998 Scholar-in-Residence at Mandelbaum House, the University of Sydney, Australia. She was one of the founders of the Children’s Room, in Arlington, MA, which provides caring support for grieving children, teens, and families.

Phyllis was a passionate advocate for the view that bereavement is a normal life cycle transition, and not an illness to be medicalized. Her research and teaching influenced a generation of researchers and practitioners, by demonstrating that mourning was not about moving on or getting over the loss, but about finding a new sense of self, that incorporates a continuing bond with the deceased into a new life that we build without them. She was also one of the first scholars to explore gender differences in grief, and to take a developmental approach to the grief of children.

Her many publications include the books: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Grieving Children (with Madelyn Kelly); Never Too Young to Know: Death in Children’s Lives; Continuing Bonds: New Understandings of Grief (with Dennis Klass and Steven Nickman); Living with Dying (with Joan Berzoff); Widow to Widow: How the Bereaved Help Each Other; Helping Women Cope with Grief; and Widower: When Men are Left Alone (with Scott Campbell).

Phyllis received many awards for her work, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Association for Death Education and Counseling, and the Israeli International Center for the Study of Loss, Bereavement, and Human Resilience; the Herman Feifel Award for Achievement in Thanatology from the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement; the Day-Garrett Award from Smith College School of Social Work; the President’s Medal and the Second Harvest Award, both from Brooklyn College; and the National Center for Death Education Award from Mt. Ida College.

Services at Temple Emunah, 9 Piper Rd., Lexington, on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM.  Interment will be in Beit Olam – East Cemetery, Wayland.

Minyanim at the Silverman residence will be held Tuesday at 7:45 pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 8 am and 7:45 pm, Friday at 8 am, Sunday at 9 am and 7:45 pm, and Monday at 8 am. The house is open to visitors between the services.

Memorial contributions can be made to The Children’s Room, 1210 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476

Michael Wayne Peisel, fondly known to many as “Miko”, 58, of Provincetown, formerly of Dedham and Boston, passed away peacefully at his home on June 10, 2016 from natural causes. He struggled for many years to maintain his sobriety while working tirelessly to help others along the road of recovery.

Born in Portland, ME, beloved son of the late Muriel (Bernier) Peisel, he was raised in a large loving family in Westbrook, ME. He attended St. Hyacinth School and was a graduate of Chevrus High School in Portland, ME. He went on to study music at Rollins College in FL returning to ME to attend the Portland School of Beauty.  Well known and respected as a master hair stylist, he worked in salons in FL, Boston, Newton, and ultimately with his dear friends at Salon 54 in Provincetown.

A sweet, gentle, and kind man, Michael truly never had a bad thing to say about anyone. His smile and laugh were infectious. He was an accomplished musician mastering the piano, flute, violin, cello, and harp.  His creative ability knew no limits proven by the many sweaters he made and gave as gifts as well as numerous beautiful needlepoint projects. An opera aficionado, he enjoyed having season tickets to the Metropolitan Opera for a number of years. Michael’s gentleness was truly evident in his love of animals, especially to his beloved 3 dogs, Giavana, Savannah, and Jacoby.  He loved the beach, the ocean, and the solitude of Cape Cod. His personal struggle has ended but his spirit will live on in those that were so fortunate to have called him their friend.

Michael is survived by his beloved aunt Pauline Brassard of Brunswick, ME, many cousins, his former husband and best friend Brian Falvey of Dedham and North Truro, and so many friends whose lives were enriched by knowing this truly amazing man.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by his friend, Fr. George Winchester, S.J., on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at 11:00 am in the Parish of St. Anthony of Padua, located in St. Hyacinth Church, 268 Brown St., Westbrook, ME.

A memorial service will be planned after Labor Day in his beloved Provincetown.

Donations in his memory may be made to the Carrie A. Seaman Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 1374, Provincetown, MA 02657.